6 Tips To Avoid Relapse

Published on September 17, 2018

Once you have experienced addiction and how it feels to leave reality, it can be difficult not to want to find yourself back to the substance that gave you escape. But these substances like alcohol, painkillers, or illicit drugs are slowly killing you; you can’t afford a relapse. Here are six tips on avoiding relapse to keep in mind while going through recovery.

1. Change Your Surroundings

You may not be able to control who you live with, but you can make a safe space for yourself to have a place to escape to. You need to have a stress free environment to run to so that you aren’t running to old habits.

2. Change Your Company

You are absolutely the company you keep. If you surround yourself with people who drink or do drugs, it is a lot harder not to partake. Even if they don’t try to break you, being around that kind of environment can do that work for them.

Having a healthy support system through your recovery is one of the best ways to be successful. Having loved ones who want what’s best for you and not the you that makes their night a good time. They can help you keep yourself accountable, give you a shoulder to lean on during the hard days, and help you discover your true potential in sobriety.

3. Get Professional Help

Some people go to school and have sleepless nights studying on how to help people exactly like you. They can help you get to the reasons why the only comfort you experience is at the end of a bottle or syringe. Taking care of these underlying issues will make saying no considerably easier.

4. Know Your Triggers

As someone who has struggled with addiction, just seeing someone on TV partakes in the activity could give me cravings. You might think that if you’re strong, you can handle anything, ignoring the triggers everywhere around you. But if you’re really strong, you won’t put yourself in a position to break and avoid your triggers as best you can.

5. Deal With Your Emotions

You may have used drugs as a coping mechanism. And now that they are out of the picture, you have no idea how to handle your emotions. One trick is to deal with them as they come. Your therapist can help you figure out how to do this. If you let them fester in your head too long, you could risk a relapse.

6. Be Productive

Idle hands are the devil’s workshop, have you ever head that before? Being productive can keep your mind busy, and it can make you healthier mentally. Pick up a hobby, dive into work, or start taking care of yourself physically and emotionally. All of these things take a lot of work, so you’ll be occupied with healthy thoughts as opposed to destructive ones.

CBD For The Cravings

All of this is fine and well, but what about the cravings? What do you do when your mind won't let you let go of your old habits? CBD oil may be able to help with addiction according to studies by helping to reduce cravings. Studies suggest that CBD hemp oil could be a valid tool for avoiding relapse.

Have you conquered your addiction? What are some tips that you have to avoid relapse? We would love to hear your tips and tricks in the comment section below!